Industry and Government agencies are migrating away from integrated services digital network (ISDN) technology at video teleconference (VTC) endpoints. ISDN is a set of communications standards for simultaneous digital transmission of voice, video, data, and other network services over the traditional circuits of the public switched telephone network. In the new communications environment, switching devices will be directed to connecting two or more IP networks of varying classification. This new communication environment, and associated switching system, particularly when used by the military, security, and intelligences services, requires extraordinary means to ensure communications security.
A number of Federal agencies are involved in certifying and validating hardware and software used in these communications systems so that such security can be insured. Use of the Internet has compounded the difficulty in ensuring this security, and has required rigorous testing regimes and complex designs for such communications system. Further aggravating the security issue is the movement toward a converged communications system—one in which all video, data, and voice communications flow though a common (and digital) gateway. A common reference for such a converged communications system in U.S. military circles is a net-centric system, which is intended to support Network Centric Warfare (NCW).
Part of a converged communications system involves Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), a technology that is a critical component of NCW, and is associated with potential command center desk top convergence, mobility enhancements, infrastructure reduction and multi-media collaboration. Implementing VoIP is a critical step to effectively converge all communications traffic (data, voice, video, etc.) onto an IP network that is central to effective NCW.